14 Jan PARSHAS SHEMOS: TEFILLAH AMIDST HARDSHIPS

It states (2:23) “Bnei
Yisrael sighed from
the labor, and they
cried out, and their cry
ascended to Hashem
from the labor.”
The Rabbeinu b’Chayei
notes that it states twice
in this pasuk that they prayed amidst their
slavery work. This tells us that the best,
most powerful tefillos come forth when
one is suffering.
The Or HaChaim teaches this lesson from
the pasuk (Tehillim 118:5) “From amidst
the suffering I call out to Hashem. Hashem
answered me….” When one davens from
a tzarah, Hashem answers him. Also, it
states (Yonah 2:3) “I called out from my
distress to Hashem, and He answered me.”
The explanation is that during challenging
times, one prays from the depths of his
heart, and such a prayer goes straight up
before Hashem.
It states (2:25) “Hashem saw Bnei Yisrael
and Hashem knew.”

What did Hashem know? The Siforno
writes, “Hashem knew that they davened
and shouted to Hashem with all their
heart…” and that aroused Hashem’s
compassion.
Many Yidden had to fight in the war of
World War One. Sometimes, their wives
didn’t know whether their husbands were
alive or dead for years. (Communication
was difficult during the war.) Women came
to the Chofetz Chaim zt’l, and they cried
and pleaded that he pray for them. The
Chofetz Chaim cried with them, blessed
them, and told them they should also
daven. He said, “Go to the beis medresh,
open the aron kodesh, and pour out your
heart before Hashem. Hashem wants that
you should daven, as it states (Yeshayah
62:6-7) “Be not silent. Give Him no
rest…”
The women asked the Chofetz Chaim,
“What should we say?” These women
were accustomed to saying the tefillos
printed in Yiddish in siddurim, such as
the techinos for after lighting the Shabbos
lecht and the techinos for motzei Shabbos.
They didn’t know how to create their own
tefillah. The Chofetz Chaim told them,

“Tell Hashem what is lying on your heart.
When a child is hungry, he doesn’t look for
techinos. He cries in his own words. Do
the same. Pour out your heart before your
compassionate Father” (Sichos Chofetz
Chaim vol.2, p.21).
The women’s tefillos were certainly special
tefillos because the Rabbeinu b’Chayei
tells us that when one davens from amidst
his tzaros, there is a greater likelihood that
his tefillos will be answered.
Sometimes people think, “I am going
through such hardships, I don’t have
yishuv hadaas. This isn’t a good time for
tefillah.” But it is exactly the opposite. If
you are going through hardships, this can
be the best time for tefillah because you
can say a tefillah from the depths of your
heart.
Sometimes, when one is going through
great troubles, he can’t open his mouth
to pray before Hashem. He is wrapped in
bitterness and can’t bring himself to daven.
All he can do is shout, “Oy vay!” from the
depths of his heart. The Yismach Yisrael
(Shemos 2, quoting his father Rebbe
Yechiel of Alexander zt’l) writes that this

tefillah and moan is also sufficient.
He teaches his lesson from the pasuk (3:9)
“I have also seen the oppression that the
Egyptians are oppressing them.”
The Yismach Yisrael writes, “This gives
chizuk for every Yid when he knows that
Hakadosh Baruch Hu sees his troubles
and sufferings, and he knows that Hashem
recognizes how hard it is for him to pray
before Hashem. Due to his many tzaros
and aveiros, he almost can’t open his
mouth in prayer before Hakadosh Baruch
Hu. Nevertheless, he shouldn’t give up.
He should shout to Hashem with all his
strength. Even if all he accomplishes
with his tefillah is a single krechtz before
Hashem from the depths of his heart,
Hashem will consider his suffering, low
level, and confusion. With Hashem’s
immense compassion and kindness, He
will listen to this moan and save him.”